Introducing new information technology or making better use of the existing?

Against the background of the extensive field work in emergency response settings, one starts to reflect if the cure for all the problems and challanges in such work, is a need of more information technology. Perhaps we, as researchers, should start to reflect more on how the existing information technology could be used more effeciently. There is not a lack of information systems, nor communication technologies. The problem is that the information systems are unable to deliver information in such a way or time in relation to the operative needs. Perhaps should we as researchers move from suggesting implications for design and instead suggest implications for use. Or atleast, we should, start to talk about re-design and re-use of all the technology that constitue some sort of installed base or legacy. More research should from this perspective be on studying use and suggest incremental steps to improve the use. The improvements must be done with care and not conflict with the everyday practice but overtime lead to some form of improved work practice. Operative emergency response, is not the perfect setting for radical change, but rather a perfect setting for small incremental changes. Information technology use in emergency response work is not that is slowly coming but is already here, both in the form of office-like technology, embedded technology in the rescue vehicles, as well as mobile technology via personal mobile phones (oh, yes firemen have and use their personal devices during non-alarm work) and other handheld devices.There is no need to add to this pool of artefacts, by introducing more or less provocative solutions but make use of the technology already there or that is on its way.It would be great to see more academic papers in the IS and HCI-journals and conferences that study and look at this issue.//